Flying in the specific category

An operational authorisation issued by the CAA is required for any flight within the Specific category

The Specific category covers operations that present a greater risk than that of the Open category, or where one or more elements of the operation fall outside the boundaries of the Open category.

Full details of the requirements related to the Specific category can be found in Annex B of CAP722.

Operational authorisation

The key element of the Specific category is that the UAS operator is required to hold an operational authorisation, which has been issued by the CAA.

This operational authorisation will be based on the CAA’s evaluation of a safety risk assessment that has been produced by the UAS operator or, in some circumstances, has been ‘pre-defined’ and published by the CAA.

The operational authorisation document sets out the privileges and limits of the operation. Given the name of the category, each operational authorisation is specific to the named UAS operator and is dependent on the risk assessment and evidence supplied to the CAA by that operator.

For further details, please refer to CAP 722 section 2.3.

Risk assessment

In order to obtain an operational authorisation, unless the planned operation can be covered by a Pre-defined Risk Assessment (PDRA), the UAS operator must first conduct a risk assessment of the proposed operation and submit this as part of the application. Essentially, the aim of the risk assessment, which also includes the UAS operator’s operations manual, is to:

• outline the proposed operation (‘what’ the operator wants to do);
• describe the operational process that will be used (‘how’ the operator will do it);
• describe the technical aspects of the UAS to be used (‘what’ the operator will do it with);
• and then demonstrate that it can be done safely (provide a risk assessment/safety case).

Further guidance on the preparation and submission of risk assessments is provided in CAP 722A .

Pre-Defined Risk Assessments (PDRA)

A PDRA is a shortened set of prescriptive conditions that must be complied with by a UAS operator in order to conduct a pre-determined type of operation.

In these cases, the CAA conducts the risk assessment, rather than each individual operator, and then publishes a short series of requirements (covering topics such as remote pilot competency, ops manual contents etc) that the UAS operator must provide to the CAA as part of a ‘shortened’ application for an operational authorisation.

Individual PDRAs are listed in Annex B of CAP722 at B1.3

Remote pilot competency requirements

The ‘specific’ category covers a wide range of UAS operations, each with different levels of risk.

The UAS operator must identify the competency required for the remote pilot and all the personnel involved in duties essential to the UAS operation, within the risk assessment.

The General VLOS Certificate (GVC)

The GVC is a remote pilot competency certificate which has been introduced as a simple, ‘one stop’ qualification that satisfies the remote pilot competency requirements for VLOS operations within the Specific category.

The GVC satisfies the competency requirements of any published PDRA that involves VLOS flight.

The GVC is comprised of a theoretical examination and a practical flight test, which are both conducted at an RAE facility. The ‘basic’ GVC can also be augmented by additional ‘modules’ which address any additional remote pilot competency levels that may be required in order to comply with the requirements of slightly more complex operations, such as those involving ‘airspace observers’.

Further details of the GVC can be found in CAP 722B.

The CAA does not organise or run assessment courses but we approve commercial organisations, known as Recognised Assessment Entities (RAEs) to do this assessment on our behalf. The RAE will generally help you develop an operations manual and will offer advice on completing the additional paperwork.

Details of CAA approved RAEs can be found in the drop down box below.

How to apply for an operational authorisation

Please complete the online application form and submit the following documents (the application form will lead you through the process):

Applications including the UAS operators risk assessment:

• Operations manual
• Risk assessment
• Details of the competency levels of each remote pilot involved in the operation

Applications based on a PDRA:

• All documents as required within the particular PDRA listing

Please be aware that PDRA 02 is currently on under review and initial and renewal applications are not being accepted. The reason for this is to assess its risk and introduce a more robust risk assessment to make PDRA02 fit for the purpose.
The suspension is temporary, and we are working on several PDRAs to help the industry and make the process less burdensome.
An update will be provided in due course.

Note: The application process contains rejection rules for incorrect application submissions. Should an application be rejected the applicant will be notified and will be required to make a fresh application submission. A rejection/assessment fee of £124.00 for applications which do not meet a certain level of standard may be charged in line with the CAA Refunds & Waivers Policy .

Our charges

Details of our charges can be found in the General Aviation Scheme of Charges insert link to the correct ORS5 entry at paragraph 3.11.

There is no limit on a maximum number of unmanned aircraft. The renewal cost is reduced for subsequent years.

Insurance

It is the responsibility of every UAS operator to ensure they have appropriate insurance coverage. This is a condition of each operational authorisation that is issued by the CAA.

Regulation (EC) 785/2004 , which came into force on 30 April 2005, requires most operators of aircraft, irrespective of the purposes for which they fly, to hold adequate levels of insurance in order to meet their liabilities in the event of an accident. This EC Regulation specifies, amongst other things, the minimum levels of third-party accident and war risk insurance for aircraft operating into, over or within the EU (including UAS) depending on their Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM). Details of the insurance requirements can be found on the CAA website under “Mandatory Insurance Requirements”.

Article 2(b) of EC 785/2004 states that the regulation does not apply to ‘model aircraft with an MTOM of less than 20kg’, but the term ‘model aircraft’ is not defined within the regulation itself. Therefore, for the purposes of interpretation within the insurance regulation only, its use of the term ‘model aircraft’ should be taken to mean:

“Any unmanned aircraft which is being used for sport or recreational purposes only”.

Note: For all other purposes, the definition of model aircraft is as set out within CAP 722D.

For all other types of unmanned aircraft operation, whether commercial or non-commercial, appropriate cover that meets the requirements of EC 785/2004 is required. Insurance for “each and every flight” could be a per flight/daily/weekly/monthly or annual policy so long as it satisfies the requirements of the EC Regulation for the duration of the flight.

The insurance must be in the name of the applicant, not just the name of the pilot (unless the pilot is the applicant) or the trading name. I.E. for companies the insurance must include the full name of the company including Ltd / Limited / PLC as appropriate.

Insurance must be EC Regulation 785/2004 compliant. If you have any concerns your insurance policy might not comply with EC Regulation 785/2004, then please check directly with your broker.

Non UK operators

If you are an unmanned aircraft operator from overseas and want to carry out work in the UK, then you must register as a UK operator and comply with the same requirements that would apply if you were based in the UK.

There is some scope for valid national documents relating to operator certification, remote pilot competency or even national operational authorisations to be accepted by the CAA as part of a risk assessment. This is particularly the case where the regulatory environment in the UAS operator’s parent country is similar to that of the UK (e.g. EU Member States).

Airspace Access Reporting

If you have been denied access to a portion of airspace, and feel that your request was not considered appropriately, you can report this to the CAA via the Airspace Access Reporting page.

How we use your information

The UK CAA’s Consumers and Markets Group collects and stores your name, date of birth, address, email, telephone number and Nationality (not routinely) for the purpose of processing the application for a Foreign Registered Aircraft Permit.

We may also share such information on an adhoc basis with DfT and UK Border Forces for Aviation Security purposes as part of the National Aviation Security Plan.